The Lombard town of Soncino has an importance place in the history of Jewish publishing.Its name was adopted by the Jewish family from Spira which, in 1483, opened in the town a printing works based on the latest technology of movable type.Beginning with Israel Nathan, the founder of the business, who is commemorated in a plaque on the wall of the Town Hall building, the Soncino family worked for over sixty years in various towns of Central and Northern Italy and in Constantinople, bringing the Jewish art of printing to a very high level.They published a little less than 150 works, including the first complete Hebrew Bible (1488).
The museum of printing is housed in a late Gothic building which, according to tradition, was once the home and workshop of the Soncino family.In the rooms inside, machinery and equipment mark a number of important milestones in the history of printing, illustrating the relative processes and techniques.One section is specifically dedicated to the Soncino production and the Jewish press, and displays original works and anastatic prints, as well as a reproduction of a 1492 wooden press and movable type in the Hebrew alphabet.
The guided tour includes demonstrations on the use of the instruments on display, and visitors can participate in interactive workshops on handwritten and printed script.
Via Lanfranco, 6, 26029 Soncino CR
For information and visits:
www.museostampasoncino.it
and
Pro Loco of Soncino:
Via Carlo Cattaneo, 1
Tel. + 39 0374 84883 / + 39 0374 84499
Email: info@prolocosoncino.it
https://www.prolocosoncino.it/visit-soncino.php
